The son of Lebanese migrants has achieved a lot in his 47 years and is anything but a one-trick pony.
After hanging up the boots as a Randwick club stalwart, Cheika and his cauliflower ears landed squarely in the world of fashion – no, we're not joking.
He made millions in fashion and now coaches for the love of it
His methods border on bizarre and his temper is never far from the surface, just ask the South African cameraman he barked at or the window he smashed at Canberra Stadium.
But one thing is guaranteed as Cyclone Cheika gets set to take over the Wallabies – it will be anything but boring.
Twelve things you might not know about Michael Cheika.
1. He once had dinner with Beyonce in London and had no clue who the pop superstar was.
Cheika may have superb knowledge about union but struggles with A-list celebs (Pic: Getty)
2. Worked for fashion designer Collette Dinnigan as her business manager before starting his own distribution company called Live Fashion.
3. Fluent in several languages including Arabic, French and Italian.
4. The former number eight is a Randwick stalwart. He played for NSW at senior level and was an Australian under 21s rep but never made a Wallabies team.
5. Also played SG Ball for the Sydney Roosters (then Eastern Suburbs) before finding a home with the Rah Rah set.
6. He is the father of four young children with wife Stephanie, who he married in 2008.
7. The self-made squillionare's big break came when he bought the rights to distribute PDC Jeans. Posh Spice was a big fan of the up-market threads.
Victoria Beckham showing her style in a pair of Cheika-distrubuted jeans (Pic: Getty)
8. Attended Marcellin College in Randwick, Sydney. He didn't bother with university.
9. He is a South Sydney fan and was on the outer with several mates after agreeing to give the Roosters a pre-game rev-up this season after an invitation from coach Trent Robinson.
10. He once went to the old Yugoslavia on a whim and was surprised to see the streets of Belgrade over-run with tanks.
11. His previous coaching gigs include Padova, Randwick, Leinster, Stade Francais and currently the Waratahs
12. Has a six month suspended ban hanging over his head until October, 2015 for abusing a TV cameraman in South Africa during a Waratahs game last year.